There are millions of people who experience gloom on Valentine's Day for a variety of reasons-from loneliness, to recent heartbreak, to the still painful loss of a loved one-and Cosmo love expert and Canadian psychotherapist Nicole McCance wants to ease their suffering. Her new best-selling book, 52 WAYS TO BEAT DEPRESSION NATURALLY from Indigo River Publishing, draws on Eastern and Western philosophies, relaxation techniques, nutritional and exercise strategies, sleep therapy, and other means of combating depression - all without a pill in sight. The book seeks to provide time-tested techniques for healing one's psyche naturally in a world overrun with pharmaceutical solutions.

McCance has spent more than a decade specializing in the treatment of depression and she has significant expertise in dissecting the pitfalls of romantic relationships-as evidenced by her current stint as the relationship expert on the Cosmo television show "Love Trap." Her book is meant for anyone suffering from depressive symptoms, of course, from the lovelorn to those who find themselves in a dark place for other reasons. McCance is tremendously confident in the proven effectiveness of the 52 easy-to-apply techniques she details in her book. "Just try one, and you will feel the difference," she says, "You can be happy. It starts with just one step in the right direction."

McCance wants to help, and to help quickly, it seems, but she does take the time to reference icons of positive thinking - from Buddha to Mother Teresa - in her efforts to reach readers. The book opens with this Dale Carnegie quote: "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." For those without hope this Valentine's Day, take heed: there are ways to get through it, and according to McCance, at least 52 of them could help right away.

Nicole McCance, M.A., is a fully licensed psychotherapist and has been a frequent contributor to media outlets such as CP24, CTV News, CTV National, Global TV, CBC News, Rogers, CBC Radio, the Toronto Star, and Canadian Living.